Simple Salvation Church of God

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thanksgiving (Nov 9, 2008)

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Text-Psalm 65 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Introduction In his first term of presidency in 1789, George Washington set aside a day of national thanksgiving for the last Thursday in November. Since that time, Americans have celebrated this day in remembrance of all the blessings God has poured down upon this nation and its citizens. For many, Thanksgiving has evolved into a well observed and festive holiday. this day is often celebrated with such events like thanksgiving parades, football, game shows, food, and family gatherings. While these events may seem rather fun and exiting, a great number of people forget what this holiday is really about, and that shall be my focus in today's sermon. Part one: Life's true riches A black ball player by the name of James T. Bell once told a local newspaper about his limited income. He stated that he was very content with what he had and that it did not matter what other people had. We all need money, but we need to earn it honestly. Many are blinded and deceived by the ideas of lotteries and gambling and very often get the wrong attitude about all this. These type of people want what rightly belongs to others, which according to the bible is morrally wrong. St. Paul warned of this several times in his letters and explains that we all must always be weary towards one's attitude toward money. Well anyway, Paul first says in 1 Timothy 6:8, "if we have food and clothing, we should be content with that". And in 1 Thessalonians 4:6, he describes the dishonesty toward the use of money by saying, "No one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him". The moral of this part is to be thankful for what we have and pay no mind to what others have in the lines of material wealth. Part two: God is our provider It has often been stressed in the houses of God that our lord and savior has provided many wonderful things, such as flowers, fruits, and other products of the vegetable kingdom. In most places, Thanksgiving is a day where food and others things are brought to the church for distribution to the needy. This my friends is a true testamony to the goodness of God as a provider. Many people throughout the Bible, including Jesus himself, observed many festivals, including the Feast of Unleaned Bread as found in Exodus chapter 12 to give praise for everything God has given them. The New Testament Christians want everyday to be a time of Thanksgiving to God for his goodness in providing for us the many gifts he has promised us; especially the gift of his son whom through him comes our eternal salvation. Part three: Giving thanks for daily bread Those of you who lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s know what it is like to do without, especially when it comes to food. Many people went hungry and joined long lines in soup kitchens just to survive. As you may recall from John 6:10-11, the multitudes came to Jesus begging for food, and it was lucky for them that they did not have to eat the grass. Jesus satisfied their hunger by miraculously multiplying five small barley loaves and two small fish, who couldn't be thankful for that. In a much larger sense, God has provided for us spirutually. By the miracle of undeserved divine grace he gave his son, Jesus Christ, as the bread of life. We live not by bread alone, but by the word of God which nourishes our souls. In fact, God nourishes our whole being. Now, aint this greats grounds for thanks or what? Part four: Prayers, Confession, and Praise Psalm 136 calls believers to give thanks for various reasons; especially the gifts of his gracious love, forgiveness, and tender mercy. Similarly, St. Paul admonishes us to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:18). How can we give thanks when we are sick, loose a job, loose a loved one, or find ourselves in other sad circumstances? In good times and bad, we must always remember that God loves us and draws himself in a special show of love and reveals himself as a mighty and merciful helper. He is always there when we sorely need him, and our problems often make us appreciate him and his love more. The bottom line is, we must always begin each day with prayers of Thanksgiving, thanking God for all he has done and for what he has given us. With thankful hearts, we must confess to God everything we have done wrong, knowing that his love endures forever. Finally, we should always be aware of all God's overflowing blessings as recorded in Psalm 103. We must all come together and pray for all those thankless few who are rich in turkey and dressing & other earthly things, but poor in thanks. We must always remember to pray and thank God for the things that make Thanksgiving Day special and share with those who have nothing. Conclusion During this thanksgiving season, we are specially mindful of and thankful for the daily bread God provides for us. By this, I mean more than just fresh baked bread from the oven, I mean things such as clothing, shelter, jobs, medical care, education, and good government. As a rule, God does not provide for us directly from heaven, nor are we fed in such a wonderful manner as Jesus used. God is constantly at work in nature for our benefit. I just want to close by saying that we have much to be thankful for, so why not take the time now to thank and praise God for all he has done. Would that be the right thing to do? I highly encourage you to think about what this day is truly about and not let your hearts and minds steer you away from the things that really matter. God bless and happy Thanksgiving!! Written by E. Strunk on 11/9/2008

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